Seahawks Beat Dolphins: Defensive Grades
By Jacob Sosler
3. Secondary: A-
It was just like old times as the Legion of Boom dominated this game. Richard Sherman was fantastic as usual, especially in run support. Despite a rocky preseason, Jeremy Lane backed up his big offseason contract. He was superb against Jarvis Landry, adding three tackles. He also sniffed out several screens early in the game that put Miami behind early. DeShawn Shead got the start at cornerback opposite Sherman, and he didn’t disappoint.
Boy did the Seahawks defense miss Kam Chancellor last season. The 28-year-old Chancellor had a disastrous 2015 season after a misguided holdout and continuous injury problems. Fortunately, he’s back and it showed. Chancellor flew around the field, delivering punishing hits to anyone in his path. He finished with 7 total tackles and 1 tackle for a loss.
The only reason this grade is an A- instead of an A is the surprisingly awful play of All-Pro safety Earl Thomas III.
Earl Thomas playing like a rookie. Terrible angles, not wrapping up, what the heck
— Danny Kelly (@DannyBKelly) September 11, 2016
Thomas looked lost on the field. He missed routine tackles that led to big plays by the Dolphins. It may have been the worst performance of Thomas’ career. Like Wilson, hopefully, this performance was simply rust or injury rather than a regression.
Next: Special Teams Needs Work